Body coupled communication (BCC) refers to signal transmissions over a channel that includes a body. BCC uses the human body as a transmission medium for electrical data signals and is one of the techniques used for communication in wireless body area networks (BANs). BANs can be formed from devices, including sensors, that are near (proximate) or in direct contact with a body. Thus, BANs may also be referred to as body sensor networks (BSNs).
In a common configuration for medical applications, low power sensors are located on or in the body to monitor one or more vital signs of a patient and the signals from these sensors are transmitted to a base station, which may also be located on or proximate the patient. BCC enables wireless communication between the sensors and the base station by using electric fields to propagate a signal to a receiver.
One of the driving forces behind wearable, implantable, and attachable device design is power consumption, partly due to the small form factors associated with such devices. The wireless transmitters used in transmitting the information off the body (or to other devices on the body) can be one of the largest consumers of power for these devices. Thus, for BCC and other wireless communication modalities, the power efficiency of transmitters must be weighed against the ability of a receiver to read the signal.